Preview: Ridgecroft Rams vs. Rocky Mount Academy Eagles
The Ridgecroft Rams will head out on the road to face off against the Rocky Mount Academy Eagles at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ridgecroft put another one in the bag on Monday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Halifax Academy on the road to the tune of 59-30. Given Ridgecroft's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 20th, while Halifax Academy is ranked 258th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ridgecroft got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Makenzie Slaughter out in front who scored ten points along with nine assists and six rebounds. Slaughter is on a roll when it comes to assists, as she's now posted eight or more in the last three games she's played. Molly Brown was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with 11 rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount Academy humbled Pungo Christian Academy with a 66-19 victory. With Rocky Mount Academy ahead 34-6 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Rocky Mount Academy relied on the efforts of Isabella Daza, who scored 16 points along with eight assists, and Taylor Carmichael, who scored 21 points. Those 16 points set a new season-high mark for Daza. Another player making a difference was Berkeley Miller, who scored eight points along with seven rebounds.
Ridgecroft pushed their record up to 8-0 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Rocky Mount Academy, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Ridgecroft hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 52 points per game. It's a different story for Rocky Mount Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 59 points per game. The only thing between Ridgecroft and another offensive beatdown is Rocky Mount Academy. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Ridgecroft took a serious blow against Rocky Mount Academy in their previous matchup back in November of 2019, falling 46-13. The match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Ridgecroft was down 26-4.
